scholarly journals Confucian values and school leadership in Vietnam

2016 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thang Dinh Truong ◽  
Philip Hallinger ◽  
Kabini Sanga
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Educational Leadership ◽  
School Leadership ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
School Principals ◽  
Leadership Practice ◽  
Leadership And Management ◽  
Global Consensus ◽  
Principal Decision Making

There is an emerging global consensus that the knowledge base in educational leadership and management must offer a deeper examination of leadership practice across a more diverse set of national contexts. Nonetheless, a recent review of the literature in this field concluded that this challenge has yet to be adequately addressed with respect to research in Asia. This study was an in-depth, qualitative examination of how the decision-making practices of Vietnamese school principals respond to their socio-cultural context. The study employed Hofstede’s ‘dimensions of national culture’ to aid in this analysis of Vietnamese school leadership. Qualitative data were used to construct case studies of principal decision-making in three Vietnamese schools. The findings highlight the strong influence of power distance and collectivism on the decision making of Vietnamese school principals. The results illuminate the value of adopting an ‘indigenous perspective’ on school leadership. Our description of how socio-cultural values shape the practice of school leadership in Vietnam offers a useful contrast with descriptions from mainstream research on educational leadership and management.

Emotional Intelligence and Political Skill Really Matter in Educational Leadership

2016 ◽  
pp. 1274-1303
Author(s):  
Nikoletta Taliadorou ◽  
Petros Pashiardis
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Emotional Intelligence ◽  
Social Skills ◽  
Educational Leadership ◽  
School Leadership ◽  
School Principals ◽  
Political Skill ◽  
Complex Environment ◽  
Political Skills ◽  
The Social

In this chapter, the authors investigate the social skills that school principals ought to exhibit in order to be more effective in the complex environment that characterizes modern schools. Thus, the main aim of this chapter is to provide an in-depth exploration of those social skills that are needed in order for school principals to become more flexible to external and internal requirements and to balance the need for change with stability. Therefore, an attempt is made to investigate the linkages between school leadership, emotional intelligence, political skill, and teachers' job satisfaction, as well as to examine the correlation of emotional and political skills of principals with the job satisfaction of their teachers.

Using Narrative Inquiry to Explore “Wicked Problems” in Educational Leadership in the Anthropocene

2019 ◽  
pp. 144-167
Author(s):  
Nandakumar Mayakestan ◽  
Gopinathan Sarvanathan
Keyword(s):  
Educational Leadership ◽  
Narrative Inquiry ◽  
School Leadership ◽  
Wicked Problems ◽  
Human Condition ◽  
Validity And Reliability ◽  
Leadership Practice ◽  
Critical Issues ◽  
Viable Approach ◽  
Leadership Research

A highly contested issue in educational leadership research is the place of narrative inquiry to study school leadership practice. While the study of narratives has had long epistemological roots in the works of Dewey, Bruner, Clandinin, and Connelly, its potential for revealing the human condition and providing deeper insights into critical issues like power, inequity, social justice, and oppression is often underestimated. Moreover, the method has also drawn much debate for its limitations ranging from its highly reflexive nature to issues of validity and reliability of “storied” experiences. This chapter outlines some arguments for the use of narrative inquiry and suggests a nuanced and expanded understanding of the method as a viable approach to study “wicked” problems in the age of Anthropocene. The chapter also aims to inspire further discussions of how narrative inquiry could be further re-conceptualized to study educational leadership in the anthropogenic era.

School leadership in disadvantaged contexts in Spain: Obstacles and improvements

2017 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 147-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vicente Llorent-Bedmar ◽  
Verónica Cobano-Delgado ◽  
María Navarro-Granados
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Educational Leadership ◽  
School Leadership ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
School Principals ◽  
Child Poverty ◽  
School Management ◽  
Teaching Staff ◽  
Students At Risk ◽  
Educational Leadership Practices

The increase in child poverty in Spain highlights the importance of equality and inclusion of students at risk of social exclusion in the Spanish educational system. Recent research emphasises the importance of educational leadership, particularly from school principals, as a tool to improve the learning of these students. The main aim of this study is to establish the characteristics of school management in disadvantaged contexts in western Andalusia (Spain), placing special emphasis on the factors considered to hinder or aid effective leadership from principals. A mixed methodology was used in this process, surveying 282 teachers and interviewing 14 principals, and employing descriptive and contrastive statistics techniques. According to the teachers surveyed, principals tend to follow good educational leadership practices. However, the disadvantaged contexts present obstacles to their effective execution. While improvements are observed in the continuity of teaching staff, there is an urgent need to improve the qualifications of teachers working with students at risk of exclusion. In conclusion, principals need greater autonomy in relation to teachers and teaching practice.

Time management profiles of Cypriot school principals: a mixed-methods approach

2015 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 492-518 ◽  
Author(s):  
Georgia Kouali ◽  
Petros Pashiardis
Keyword(s):  
School Leadership ◽  
Time Management ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
School Principals ◽  
Management Style ◽  
Leadership And Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Use Of Time ◽  
Primary School Principals ◽  
Management Techniques

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present the results of a piece of research concerning the time management of Cypriot primary school principals. Time management refers to the interrelation of five independent variables: the various tasks principals perform, their frequency, the degree of accomplishment of those tasks, the use of time management techniques and time management style (from monochronic to polychronic). Design/methodology/approach – Quantitative methods were used (questionnaire) together with qualitative methods (observation, interviews, collection of artifacts), in order to obtain richer, deeper data and view multiple angles of the same phenomenon. Findings – The results of cluster analysis indicated three different time management profiles/types of principals: The Centralized Monochrons, the Procrastinative Managers and the Decentralized Polychrons. One basic conclusion is that the principals who adopt the practices of the Decentralized Polychrons manage better their time. Practical implications – The three time management profiles of principals are described, analysed, and discussed in order to reach conclusions about the selection, training, and placement of school principals. Through the description of the everyday practice of Cypriot principals useful information concerning school leadership and management are also provided. Finally, the conclusions of this research may prove useful for principals, because they are provided with the opportunity to rethink and evaluate their own time management and effectiveness of their daily practices. Originality/value – The creation and description of the three time management profiles is the main contribution of this piece of research, since there are not any time management types-profiles registered in the bibliography, which were produced with the use of scientific instruments and procedures.

Assessing and strengthening instructional leadership among primary school principals in Vietnam

2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 396-415 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hảo Thi Nguyễn ◽  
Philip Hallinger ◽  
Chia Wen Chen
Keyword(s):  
Educational Leadership ◽  
Instructional Leadership ◽  
Primary School ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Leadership Practices ◽  
School Principals ◽  
Leadership And Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Primary School Principals ◽  
Principal Instructional Leadership

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to add to an emerging literature on educational leadership and management in Vietnam by addressing several goals. First, the study sought to translate, adapt, and validate an existing measurement instrument, the Principal Instructional Management Rating Scale (PIMRS) Teacher Form, for use in Vietnam. Next, it aimed to describe patterns of instructional leadership evidenced among a sample of urban and rural primary school principals. Then, the researchers examined if these patterns of principal instructional leadership could be linked to one or more “antecedent variables”: school size, school location (urban/rural), principal’s gender and prior teaching experience. Finally, the paper sought insights from principals and teachers on how instructional leadership could be strengthened in the Vietnamese education context. Design/methodology/approach Both quantitative survey and qualitative methods were used in this study. The sample consisted of 569 teachers and 117 principals working in 117 primary schools located in Ho Chi Minh province of Vietnam. Data collection employed a translated and adapted Vietnamese language form of the PIMRS Teacher Form. An open-ended question posed to both teachers and principals was included in the survey instrument to gather recommendations for strengthening instructional leadership in Vietnam. The research used Rasch analysis, Cronbach’s test of internal consistency, confirmatory factor analysis, t-tests, and analysis of variance in data analysis. Findings The research achieved a preliminary validation of a Vietnamese language Teacher Form of the PIMRS. The analysis of PIMRS data gathered from teachers found that the primary school principals were perceived to be exercising instructional leadership at a surprisingly high level. Consistent with international research findings, selected evidence indicated stronger instructional leadership from the female principals, though the pattern was not strong. None of the other antecedents evidenced a significant relationship with patterns of principal instructional leadership. A number of overlapping recommendations were made by teachers and principals for strengthening instructional leadership in Vietnam. Research limitations/implications Although a Teacher Form of the PIMRS Vietnam was successfully validated, follow-up studies should be conducted with both the Teacher Form and Principal Form of this instrument. More broadly, the high scores on the PIMRS accorded to the principals in this study were deemed “surprising” in light of the lack of prior policy focus and training on this role of the principal in Vietnam. Thus, the authors recommend that this research be extended to a larger cross-level study of schools from different parts of Vietnam in order to provide additional confirmation of these preliminary findings. Practical implications Feedback from principals and teachers indicated a need for system leaders to articulate instructional leadership more explicitly as part of the principal’s role set in Vietnam. Only then will it become part of the formal expectations that shape principals’ practice and the preparation and professional development programs in which they participate. The principals also suggested that instructional leadership could be strengthened by enabling model principals to share instructional leadership practices with colleagues. Finally, teachers and principals highlighted the need to broaden, legitimate, and strengthen sources of instructional leadership within the school beyond the principal. These suggestions are not only consistent with policy actions taken in other societies, but are also grounded in the context of education in Vietnam. Originality/value The first internationally published study of educational leadership and management in Vietnam only appeared in 2012. In the succeeding years, several qualitative studies have emerged describing principal leadership practices in a handful of schools. The current study represents the first published quantitative study of school leadership from Vietnam. Although the results are preliminary in nature, the study provides both baseline data on principal instructional leadership and a validated instrument that can be used in future research.

‘Al Faza’a’ leadership: An implicit cultural barrier to distributed leadership in Jordanian public schools

2020 ◽  
pp. 174114322093258
Author(s):  
Reem Hashem
Keyword(s):  
Public Schools ◽  
Education Reform ◽  
School Leadership ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Distributed Leadership ◽  
Knowledge Economy ◽  
Social Practice ◽  
Leadership Practice ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Cultural Barrier

In 2003, the Jordanian government launched an ‘education reform for knowledge economy’ leadership programme in Jordanian public schools. The programme transformed school leadership structures by advocating patterns of distributed leadership. However, growing evidence in cross-cultural research shows the influence of local culture on implementation of foreign reform programmes. This paper aims to examine a culture-bound leadership practice during the implementation of the education reform for knowledge economy programme and the tensions it holds to the intent of distributed leadership. This leadership practice was identified by Jordanian school principals who participated in qualitative research to examine factors affecting the implementation of the education reform for knowledge economy programme. The research employed a grounded theory methodology for data collection and analysis. Principals termed this leadership practice ‘al faza’a’ leadership which is anchored in al faza’a social practice of Jordanian tribes. Findings demonstrate that Jordanian tribal leadership styles are seen in Jordanian public schools. ‘Al faza’a’ hegemonic leadership practices in the Jordanian public schools signify the embodiment of the tribal social and cultural values of solidarity and kinship. These values can be incongruent with the core values underlying the education reform for knowledge economy’s advocated distributed leadership programme. This paper concludes that ‘al faza’a’ practice can represent an implicit leadership theory in Jordanian schools.

scholarly journals Confucian Values and School Leadership in Vietnam

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Dinh Thang Truong
Keyword(s):  
School Leadership ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
School Leaders ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Leadership And Management ◽  
Interpretive Study ◽  
Confucian Values ◽  
Confucian Thought ◽  
Group Interviews

<p>This research focuses on school leadership in the Vietnamese context, particularly the Confucian-influenced context within Vietnamese cultural boundaries. Confucian values are believed to be the significant and dominant value structure within Vietnam, therefore this research seeks to understand how Vietnamese school leaders exercised leadership within the construct of a Confucian discourse. It examines how the exercise/practice of four leadership functions (exercising power, building relationship, making decisions, and conflict solving) are influenced by Vietnamese cultural values. A qualitative research approach was applied for this phenomenological interpretive study. Four methods of data collection were adopted, consisting of interviews (individual and focus-group interviews), observations, document analysis and questionnaires. School leaders and teachers, drawn from three case study schools were invited as participants. The findings suggest that, although Confucian thought has waned in the contemporary Vietnam, Confucian values are still reflected in participants' perceptions about school leadership and in the manner of everyday leadership and management practices, particularly in the four pre-defined leadership functions. Confucian authority chains, seen as the paternalistic culture of obedience and respecting authority, have transferred into contemporary Vietnamese school leadership and management. These are preserved and reinforced by the political and administrative structures and contemporary leadership practices. A reconceptualised model of có uy leadership is offered, together with suggestions for leadership effectiveness based on Confucian values within a Vietnamese context.</p>

A systematic review of conceptual models and methodologies in research on school principals in Iran

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rezvan Hosseingholizadeh ◽  
Atefeh Sharif ◽  
Nafiseh Taghizadeh Kerman
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
School Leadership ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Conceptual Models ◽  
School Principals ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Leadership Studies ◽  
Content Type

PurposeThis study aims to present a review of topics, conceptual models and methodologies in research on Iranian school principals over the past four decades.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopted a descriptive quantitative form of a systematic review of research to analyze topics, conceptual models and methodologies employed in 565 studies published by Iranian scholars in the national and international databases.FindingsThe content analysis of the studies revealed the increasing interest of the Iranian scholars in the two topical foci, namely, the school leadership models and principal profile, with a focus on the direct-effects (Model B) and the antecedent-effects (Model A). The evidence also suggests the disinclination of the researchers to study leadership concerning student learning outcomes. The most frequently used school leadership model in the Iranian schools has been transformational leadership, while the distributive/collaborative and instructional leadership studies were few. The scholars have mostly relied on a survey-based quantitative research approach, using correlation analysis techniques.Practical implicationsThe findings suggest that despite the increasing global acceptance of school leadership, its implementation in practice is inevitably shaped by the institutional policies and cultural values of different societies.Social implicationsThe findings of this study strengthen the supposition that the differences in school leadership across societies are influenced by various cultural and contextual factors.Originality/valueThis paper is the first systematic review of the empirical studies that present insight into topics, conceptual models and methodologies in research on school principals in Iran.

Purpose, passion and play

2016 ◽  
Vol 54 (4) ◽  
pp. 378-392 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabre Cherkowski ◽  
Keith Walker
Keyword(s):  
Educational Leadership ◽  
Human Development ◽  
School Leadership ◽  
School Principals ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Qualitative Description ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
Content Type ◽  
School Organizations ◽  
Leading Schools

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify and elaborate on the construct of flourishing in schools as understood through the stories and explanations provided by a small group of public school principals. Framed within a positive organizational perspective, the specific objectives of this study are: to identify how school leaders understand and experience flourishing in their roles and in their schools; to explore the conditions, catalysts and/or galvanizing forces of flourishing in schools. Design/methodology/approach – The researchers used an electronic Delphi survey to gain a qualitative description of the understandings and impressions of the construct of flourishing from the perspective of practicing school administrators in one school district in central British Columbia. Delphi responses were aggregated after each round and thematically analysed to determine patterns and trends for further examination through progressive iterations of the survey administered via e-mail. The final set of data were then analysed for patterns, trends and themes that were compared and contrasted against research findings in the literature underpinning the theoretical framework for this study. Findings – While there was no single definition of what it means to flourish in the work of school leadership, shared descriptions from these principals indicated that they feel a sense of flourishing when they are working together with teachers from a sense of purpose and passion and in a spirit of play to cultivate learning climates that reflect a shared ownership for improving educational experiences for students. These initial findings provoke thinking about the potentials and benefits of shifting the focus of research and practice in educational leadership towards more positive, strengths-based perspectives. Research limitations/implications – The sample size was small, and so generalizing findings beyond this study is unreasonable. Further, because the researchers separated participant information from responses in order to safeguard anonymity and to aggregate the responses to provide these back to participants for their further elaboration and reflections, they were unable to determine whether particular responses were connected to context (elementary or secondary, size of school, years of experience as an administrator), gender or other demographic factors. However, the use of the electronic Delphi instrument provided insights on engaging school principals in thoughtful inquiry as participants, while respecting the busy workload and time constraints associated with the work of school principals. Practical implications – Attending to well-being in the work of leading schools is an under-researched area of educational leadership. This study is an example of how researching educational leadership from a positive, strengths-based, human development perspective may provide useful insights for supporting principals and other educators to notice, nurture and sustain a sense of flourishing in their work and across the school. While further research is needed to examine the construct of flourishing across a diverse range of school organizations, the findings from this study provoke thinking about the benefits of studying what goes well, what brings vitality and a more full sense of humanity in the work of leading school organizations. Originality/value – The researchers use a new perspective for examining and explaining the phenomenon of flourishing in schools, a positive organizational research orientation. The use of this strengths-based, positive, human development approach to examining the construct of flourishing from the perspective of school principals can offer new insights and strategies for attending to well-being as an integral part of the work of leading schools.

Developing Leaders for International Baccalaureate World Schools

2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 99-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerard Calnin ◽  
Mark Waterson ◽  
Sue Richards ◽  
Darlene Fisher
Keyword(s):  
Educational Leadership ◽  
School Leadership ◽  
International Baccalaureate ◽  
Deep Understanding ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Learning And Development ◽  
Leadership Practice ◽  
School Network ◽  
Core Components ◽  
Leadership Research

A significant corpus of research now consistently confirms that school leadership is the second most important in-school variable to impact on student outcomes. Investing in leaders and aspiring leaders is therefore an imperative for schools and school systems. However, much of the educational leadership research emerges from national systems of education, with a largely Western set of norms and assumptions. To what extent, it can be asked, are the attributes and capabilities described in the literature applicable on a more universal or global scale? A paucity of research addresses this question and explores educational leadership in trans-national and multi-cultural settings. The International Baccalaureate (IB), with its 4500 schools in more than 135 countries, has responded to the challenge of developing leaders for its schools (known as IB World Schools). Regardless of the strength of research within particular national or cultural contexts, the IB’s complex and globally dispersed school network means that leaders cannot be expected to follow a single model or paradigm of leadership practice. The IB acknowledges that effective leadership takes into account the environment within which leaders work. At the heart of an IB school leader’s challenge is to develop strong capabilities in cultural and contextual awareness, as well as a deep understanding of the types of leadership practices that have the best chance of maximising student and organisational outcomes in different contexts. The IB has developed a distinctive leadership programme to support IB leaders and build their capabilities in these vital areas. This paper outlines the contexts, research and theorising that has led to the IB leadership professional development programme. It also presents the aims, guiding principles and key features, inclusive of the key capabilities and intelligences that are the core components of the learning and development experience. The question raised at the conclusion of this paper is: to what extent are these capabilities applicable for leaders not only in IB World Schools but in schools more widely?

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